Health Tip – July 10 – Vitamins – Do They Work?

“Vitamins Don’t Work” articles seem to reappear in national news outlets every couple of years or so. These stories usually follow the same format, stating that although more than half of Americans take supplements, there is little or no evidence that they actually improve health or help to lower the risk of chronic disease.

But the fact is, the studies on which these articles are based are often flawed. For example, they may use inferior vitamins, get cut short before benefits can manifest, use poor screening methods to find the right study subjects, or be plagued by complicating factors such as members of the placebo group beginning to take vitamins independently.

The value of antioxidant vitamins has, in my view, been scientifically demonstrated beyond any reasonable doubt by the preponderance of studies showing benefit. Everyone should take a high-quality multivitamin daily.